When I think about FPS in which you can drive tanks, quads, motorcycles or fly jets and helicopters, Battlefield 4 comes instantly to my mind. After playing the game for over 880 hours, I think I can give you some decent insights, what you can expect when you start the game for the first time.
At first, I thought that there are many reviews already out there, but most of them only talk about the singleplayer. That’s not a bad thing; however, most gamers only play it to unlock the weapons and complete all achievements.
This Battlefield 4 review focuses mainly on the multiplayer, as this is the main focus of the whole franchise. But enough of that, let’s go into the details!
What’s the difference between BF3 and BF4?
When I heard that a new Battlefield comes out in 2013 (played a match on Noshahr Canals at the moment), I wasn’t so hyped about it, as I started playing BF3 recently. However, I bought BF4 a few days later to play it with my squad.
Battlefield 4 got decently improved in terms of the Visuals and effects, so everything looks even better than in all other Battlefield games at this time. Especially if you play this game on the highest graphic settings, everything looks fantastic. But to play on ultra settings, you need a pretty good PC.
Note: Flashlights got nerved decently, so it doesn’t feel like the sun shines in your face anymore.
Besides this, DICE also added new a lot of new weapons, vehicles, maps, and game modes, that you can play. After 880 hours of game time, there is enough variety, so it doesn’t get boring.
The gunplay is also different between these games. In BF3, most of the weapons have their own playstyle, so everyone can find a weapon that he likes. On the other hand, in BF4, many weapons share a similar playstyle, but this can be customized by adjusting your loadout.
Vehicles also got changed quite a bit. Tanks are not that OP anymore and can be destroyed easier (depends on the player!), the artillery got a new way to aim, jets received a new third-person view, and so on. However, the basic mechanics of the vehicles did not change that much, so veterans probably have no problems with that.
There are also some maps of Battlefield 3 that we can also find in Battlefield 4. Some of them got changed a bit (no drastic changes), to fit the game better. Exams would be:
- Caspian Border
- Operation Metro
- Gulf of Oman
- Operation Firestorm
These were only a few changes, but if you are familiar with the Battlefield franchise, you will see many familiar things in this game.
How is the gameplay of Battlefield 4 in the multiplayer?
But enough of BF3, let’s talk about the online multiplayer. When BF4 launched on Origin, there was a web browser that you had to use to join a server (similar to BF3’s web browser). Luckily, they added a new menu, which is actually in the game and makes everything much more comfortable.
Like many other games that got developed by Dice, BF4 had massive problems with bugs and performance issues. Some bugs made the game literally un-playable for quite some time, but as the game is out for quite some time now, everything runs without any issues.
When you join a lobby for the first time, you can only use the standard weapons. To unlock new weapons or weapon types (for example, shotguns), you have to play with each class a bit. For example, you need a 71,000 assault rifle score with the medic class, to unlock the CZ-805.
Note: You get these points by playing with weapons that are in the assault rifle category.
However, each class has some weapons that can only be unlocked by completing assignments or owning a DLC.
Playing with a weapon also unlocks new attachments like optics, barrels, under-barrels, gun paints, and accessories. By adding some attachments to your weapon, you can customize it to your playstyle. For example, if you like the Scar-H a lot, but you can’t the (strong) recoil, you can add attachments to decrease the recoil decently. However, every time you add something to your weapon (to make its stats better), another state will get worse.
Note: If you manage to eliminate 500 players with one weapon, you will be rewarded with an individual dog tag, that you can equip.
This makes sure all the game is balanced, and nobody can use the perfect layout. If you add a silencer to stay invisible on the map, your weapon will spread more.
Infantry fights can be very chaotic, especially on close-quarter maps like on Operation Locker or Metro. To keep an overview of where the enemies come from, there is a Mini-map that you can use. Every time you or an enemy fires his weapon gets marked in real-time on the map. So don’t get confused if an enemy already waits for you behind an obstacle.
If we add tanks, helicopters, and jets to this, we can get a true battlefield. One of the most popular game modes is conquest (large), which takes place almost on every map. This is also my favorite game mode in this game, as you can do literally everything.
Want to bomb a tank over the whole map? No problem! Wanna fly a jet, jump out if the jet, snipe an enemy jet pilot, and get back into your own jet. No problem! Wanna fly a small drone and roadkill your enemies? Well, play as a sniper, and you can do it.
Over time, my squad and I did a lot of funny things in this game. Battlefield 4 provides so many opportunities for what you can do, so it’s easy to spend hundreds of hours in this game.
When you start the game, you can choose between 15 different game modes. Some of them can only be played if you own a DLC (Chainlink, carrier assault). Still, most of them are accessible to everyone. Each game mode has its own focus, so if you want to have more action, you can join a match of domination, team deathmatch, or conquest small.
The overall gameplay experience of Battlefield 4 is fantastic, and it is entertaining to play. Back in the days, I played it almost every day for a few hours with my friends (after school), and we had great moments together.
Even playing a few matches per day can be really fun, but also a bit frustrating when everyone uses an AEK or Famas. In the beginning, I was not the best player, and playing on an old laptop, made it even worse. When I bought my first PC, I got much better in the game in terms of reaction times and gunfights.
There is really not that much to say anymore, but to give you an insight about what you can expect in Battlefield 4, watch this short video:
The Commander mode:
The commander is an exclusive feature to BF4, as one player on each team can become the commander, to support his team with drops, drones, missile attacks, and orders. It is also possible to play on your tablet as the commander, which is an excellent feature.
The commander is not a game-changing advantage, but he can influence the game decently by using his drones and missile attacks at the right time.
Gadgets and pick-up weapons:
Your loadout not only contains your main and side weapon, but there are also many different gadgets that you can equip. These gadgets enable you to do specific tasks, liken reanimating teammates, repairing vehicles, or bomb vehicles and other things (C4). However, to list all of them would take too long, so I want to list some of the best ones for each class.
| Medic: | Pioneer: | Supporter: | Sniper: |
| Defibrillator (must-have!!) | Smaw or RPG-7V2 | Ammunition Box (must-have!) | SUAV |
| Medkit (big or small) | Repair Tool | C4 | Spawn Beacon |
| UCAV | Mav |
To optimize your loadout completely, you can add field upgrades that grant your squad some decent buffs. This could increased ammunition, additional rockets for your Smaw/RPG, or increased sprint speed.
To activate these field upgrades, your squad has to do specific tasks like:
- Killing enemies
- Repairing vehicles
- Resupplying squadmates
- Healing your squadmates
- Spawning on your squadmates
On some maps, everyone can find pick-up weapons, which are very strong if you know how to use them correctly. For example, there are one-shot snipers or grenade launchers that deal a lot of damage per hit. If you give such a weapon to a skilled player, we’ll…
Luckily, these weapons have limited ammunition, so nobody can use it for the whole time. They also can’t get more ammo from supporters, and they don’t respawn on the map instantly after they got used.
At last, there are three special pick-up weapons that you can only find on a few maps. The RAWR is a small robot, armed with a heavy machine gun and a grenade launcher. Controlling this little machine takes a bit practice, however, if you can surprise an enemy with it, a kill is almost guaranteed. But you can only find him in the Dragon’s Teeth DLC.
The next two special weapons only appear in the Final Stand DLC, speaking of the Rorsch Mk-1 (aka Railgun), and the XD-1 Accipiter (aka a flying mini-gun). The Rorsch Mk-1 is a man-portable Railgun, which kills an enemy for 100% on contact, and also deals a bit of splash damage. But it has a one-second charge-up timer before firing, so your target has to stay in an open area.
On the other hand, the XD-1 Accipiter is a small drone equipped with a mini-gun that can deal a lot of damage if used correctly. Controlling the drone is very similar to the Mav from the recon class, but it has a battery that gets consumed by using it. This makes sure that this drone can’t fly around the thole match, but there is a trick that you can use. To restore the battery, fly back to your soldier and pick the drone up to place it again. This resets the battery, and you can fly again.
This seems a bit too strong on paper, but it can be destroyed pretty quickly. Heatseekers and lock-on rockets like from the Stinger and Igla can destroy it in just a few seconds, or you just kill it with your primary weapon.
How is the campaign of Battlefield 4?
Every Battlefield (that I played myself) has a campaign that you can play. Honestly, it was not that satisfying, but there were some great moments. Besides this, it is not a long campaign, as it takes about 4 – 6 hours to get trough.
However, by playing the campaign, you can unlock some decent weapons that you can use in the multiplayer. In total, you can unlock six new weapons by completing the campaign or completing the campaign in different versions.
- M412 Rex – Complete the mission Baku
- Shank – Complete the mission Kunlun Mountains
- Machete – Complete the mission Tashgar
- QBZ-95-1 – Complete all three endings for the campaign
- P90 – Complete all three endings for the campaign
- M249 – Complete all three endings for the campaign.
Like in many other BF games, the campaign follows a similar level design. Sometimes you have many ways on how to get to your goal, and sometimes you have to follow a specific way. The best campaign in this franchise takes place in Battlefield Hardline (in my opinion!).
The story is good, and it actually makes fun to play it. Another plus point is that the campaign is not that short eighter, and you have a lot of options on how to complete each level. But thats another story…
Levolution in Battlefield 4:
This franchise is well-known for its destruction and map design, especially in terms of how each map can change. In BF4, you destroy a lot of things, to influence the map directly (and thus the gameplay too). These events can be triggered by destroying specific structures or activating mechanics that are hidden on a map.
On Siege Of Shanghai, you can destroy the support pillars around the skyscraper, so he crashes down floor by floor. But in order not to be eliminated by this accident, I highly recommend staying back.
Not only such massive structures can be destroyed, walls, fences, and other smaller structures can also be destroyed, to open new ways to attack the enemy faction. Sometimes, this is needed to make an opening, to capture a flag, eliminate campers, and so on.
Is Battlefield 4 Premium worth it?
Battlefield 4 got released a few years ago, so the price for the game went down significantly. With a bit of research, you can find the standard edition for just a few dollars. If you want to play on all the DLC maps and unlock all weapons, you can buy the premium version for about $20 – $25.
I would recommend buying the premium version, as you can play on all maps, unlock every weapon, and get precedence in the queue. If you would buy all the DLC’s one by one, it would cost you a lot more money because of that.
Verdict:
Battlefield 4 is a fantastic first-person shooter with an excellent setting. The game had its problems in the beginning, but over time, almost everything got fixed by the developers. It also offers a lot of content, so there is much to do when you jump into the game, even for veterans of the series.
BF4 even runs very well on older Pc’s, (mine is over 6 years old now) even on high-quality settings. If you don’t like the recent Battlefield games (1 and 5) or you want to play a good FPS with a bit futuristic setting, this game is perfect for you.
Even after 880 hours spent in the game, I still come back to it from time to time. It is one of my most played games ever, besides Realm Royale, Dead By Daylight, and Rocket League.
| ?? Pros of Battlefield 4: | ?? Cons of Battlefield 4: |
| Many maps, vehicles, weapons, and game modes | Some weapons have an identical playstyle |
| Weapon customization | The campaign is very short |
| Levolution | Still a few bugs and issues (Punkbuster…) |
| Fantastic map design | |
| 64 player game modes | |
| Excellent visuals | |
| Fun to play |
